Aftermath

"Ah, this..."

Looking down at the numerous disciples sprawled across the arena, all unconscious but fortunately without any casualties, Wind Douluo finally raised a hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Ancestor Chen Xin really didn't hold back!"

"Starting off with an eighth soul skill..."

"Does he really think these little ones are as monstrous as Ning Huan?"

After grumbling a few words under his breath, Wind Douluo waved a hand, causing the unconscious Ning Huan, who had collapsed from soul power exhaustion, to levitate into the air.

He drifted steadily toward the high platform.

Wind Douluo himself shifted, appearing before Ning Hao in the blink of an eye.

Yet, before the latter could offer any words of comfort, a teasing remark with a slightly strange tone came first.

"Sect Master, it seems you didn't just recruit a genius; you brought back a little ancestor."

"..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously whispering stands fell instantly silent.

Everyone held back their laughter, terrified that a single slip would cause them to chuckle and incur their Sect Master's wrath.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng, being particularly young, kept their heads buried low, their pretty faces flushed red from holding it in.

Seeing this, Wind Douluo, realizing he had spoken out of turn, gave a sheepish smile.

He hurriedly retreated to the side of Shield Defender, vacating his spot.

He then winked at Sword Douluo, causing the already agitated old man's temple veins to throb.

Sword Douluo made a firm decision: he would definitely have to teach this flighty dog a lesson later.

Ning Hao was left between laughter and tears, yet he felt not a shred of displeasure.

After decades of living and breathing together, he was far too familiar with the three titled elders.

The distinction between ruler and subject had long since vanished.

They observed etiquette in public, but were as close as family in private.

How could he be angry over a few trivial jokes?

Moreover, wind-attribute soul masters were naturally carefree and lacked steadiness.

Even a Titled Douluo was no exception.

Wind Douluo had been beaten plenty of times for his loose tongue in the past.

He was used to it.

Of course, the fact that he had made him lose face in front of everyone still had to be noted.

Ning Hao curled his lips imperceptibly, thinking to himself:

When Uncle Sword finally can't help but hack at Uncle Feng, I'll wait half an hour before going to break up the fight.

He then turned his gaze toward the unconscious Ning Huan, his usually sharp eyes filled with a mix of love and hate.

A peerless genius joining the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect was worth a grand celebration.

It was just that the method of recruitment was a bit too rough!

Summoning the sect's ancestor in front of everyone—was that really okay?

Ancestor Chen Xin was also spoiling him, opening with Mountain Shifting; it nearly scared everyone to death.

No, they were definitely already scared!

Thinking of this, Ning Hao moved his gaze toward the arena with great difficulty.

Looking at the sect's prodigies, who were either lying unconscious or sitting in a daze, his head spun and his vision went black.

These were the foundation of the sect, the sturdy pillars of the future!

And yet, they had been crippled by the genius he had been longing for and the ancestor!

Where could he even go to reason this out?

In a trance, he suddenly understood how the sect's predecessors felt two hundred years ago when facing the Light and Dark Twin Holy Dragons.

That was a gap that could never be bridged by mere effort and talent.

However, since things had reached this point, no matter how much it pained him, Ning Hao had to make the best arrangements possible.

"Pass the order: from this moment on, Ning Huan is the Chief Disciple of my Nine Treasures Glazed Sect."

"He shall receive the highest specifications in treatment and benefits, along with the authority to oversee the sect, manage disciples, and mobilize elders and titled elders."

"As for the other participating disciples, double their monthly stipends and grant them three months' worth of cultivation resources as a reward and encouragement."

"And also..."

As he spoke, his voice suddenly paused for a moment.

When he spoke again, his tone carried a hint of grievance.

"Find more Spirit Masters of the mental attribute—those who are sharp-witted and eloquent—to provide psychological counseling for the disciples."

"We cannot let promising disciples become demoralized over temporary gains and losses."

"The Sect Master is wise."

The elders, having received their orders, bowed and departed to handle the aftermath of the grand competition in an orderly fashion.

Before long, with only Ning Hao and a few others remaining on the high platform, Sword Douluo finally seized the chance to escape the harassment of Wind Douluo.

He stepped forward quickly to voice the concerns he held as an elder.

"Sect Master, Ning Huan summoning the ancestor Chen Xin in public today—will that not affect the authority of your lineage..."

However, before he could finish, Ning Hao waved his hand to signal him to stop, leaving the three of them puzzled.

"Uncle Sword underestimates this Ning."

"As long as the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect can be revitalized, what are mere power and reputation? There is nothing I cannot sacrifice."

"Furthermore, if it were any other predecessor, I might hesitate, but with the ancestor Chen Xin acting as the guarantor, this Ning is quite at ease."

Having received this explanation, Sword Douluo and the others naturally had no further doubts.

After all, the name of Chen Xin was known to everyone.

Perhaps there were parts of his legend that were overly deified.

But in a sense, he was indeed far more trustworthy.

After all, Spirit Masters who wielded the Seven Kill Sword were notoriously single-minded and stubborn!

Shield Defense Douluo and Wind Douluo subconsciously cast their gazes toward Sword Douluo, a thought occurring to them simultaneously.

This sword-wielder, I fear he will be treating that boy like an ancestor before long.

On the other side, sensing that the three elders were no longer worried about the risks of power division, Ning Hao couldn't help but sigh inwardly:

Thank goodness, the three uncles are not well-versed in schemes; I managed to fool them.

It wasn't that he had lied to them earlier.

The fact that he could be so at ease with Ning Huan was indeed largely due to Chen Xin.

Yet, the most important point had not been mentioned at all.

In Ning Hao's view, everyone was so immersed in joy that they failed to see that this boy was no ordinary fish in a small pond.

His return to the sect was likely only due to external factors like future resources and a backing.

He had absolutely no intention of usurping the nest.

Once his cultivation was sufficient, he would leave the sect sooner or later, and perhaps even...

Douluo Continent!

But... this is exactly what this Ning desires.

Watching Ning Huan, who was surrounded by several healing-type Spirit Masters and Ning Tian not far away, a glint of brilliance flashed in Ning Hao's eyes.

Someone who could lead the sect to rise without being greedy for power.

It was the perfect fit for the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect's current awkward situation.

With this thought, Ning Hao finally felt much more at ease, his lips curling back into his usual shrewd smile.

"People, you can't have your cake and eat it too... Hm? He's waking up? What kind of recovery speed is this?!"

Sword Douluo and the others, who were chatting nearby, were equally shocked.

Wind Douluo, unable to contain his impatience, rushed forward and waved his hand to push aside the healing-type Spirit Masters, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Hey, kid, you're something else!"

Ning Huan: "..."

What on earth just lunged over here?

Oh, it's Wind Douluo.

That's fine then.

Noticing that there were only a few people around, Ning Huan smiled knowingly and immediately stood up to pay his respects, his attitude very deferential.

"Disciple Ning Huan greets the Sect Master, the elders, and the Young Sect Master."

"Good, truly a talent of outstanding appearance."

After looking him up and down carefully, Ning Hao nodded with great satisfaction.

In a flash of inspiration, the thought of adopting him as a foster son suddenly crossed his mind.

Yet, for some reason, the moment this idea appeared, he felt a sudden chill around his neck, scaring him into abandoning it immediately.

"Cough, just call me Uncle. 'Sect Master' and such are far too distant."

"That is exactly what I wished for."